Kindergarten Transportation

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Portland Public Schools
Transportation Services

Kindergarten Transportation: Transportation Services offers school bus service to all kindergarten students residing over one half mile
from their assigned school. Kindergarten students are assigned
buses along with grades 1-5. Some special provisions have been put
in place to insure the safety of our youngest riders. These include:

a)
Each school year all new kindergarten students are provided with a
practice ride the week before school opens. Parents are asked to
accompany each student on this ride and encouraged to ask questions
and become familiar with the driver and the route. Please contact
your local school for dates and times of the kindergarten practice run.

b)
Kindergarten students are generally assigned seats in the front of
the bus away from the hustle and bustle of older students. Should
problems arise with the students the driver is closer at hand.

c)
Kindergarten students are generally assigned congregated stops with
other elementary students. However, under certain circumstance,
students may be picked up or dropped off at the student’s residence
to insure safety. Should you have a concern regarding your child’s
bus stop, please contact Transportation Services. We will attempt to
accommodate requests on an individual basis.

d)
Kindergarten students are required to have an adult present at pick
up and drop off locations. Parents must contact the school or
Transportation Services regarding any person designated for this
role. Should no one be available to accompany the student, a waiver
must be obtained from the school to leave a child unattended.

e)
Individual post cards are mailed to all eligible kindergarten
students approximately two weeks before the start of school.
Schedules include bus number, bus stop, and times.

f)
Kindergarten sessions run from 8:50 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Average ride
time for kindergarten students is approximately 15 minutes. Most
kindergarten bus routes run less than 30 minutes in length and
arrive at school generally 15-20 minutes prior to the schools
opening.

Elementary Transportation: Elementary transportation is available for all grade 1 through 5 students residing over one mile
from their assigned school. Several exceptions have been granted to
the eligibility guidelines for safety reasons. They include:

a)
Grade 1-5 students attending Lyseth Elementary School living on
Allen Ave Extension and on the west side of Allen Ave including
streets between Racine Ave and Ray St not eligible by distance.

c) Grade 1-5
students attending Clifford Elementary School living west of St John
St to Massachusetts Ave not eligible by distance.

d)
Grade 1-5 students attending Presumpscot School living west of ocean
Ave to Pheasant Hill Rd not eligible by distance.

e)
Grade 1-5 students attending East End Community School residing east
of Cumberland Ave and southwest of Washington Ave not eligible by
distance.

f) Grade K-3 students living in the Parkside
area (bordered by Forest Ave, Congress St, St John St and Park Ave)
not eligible by distance.

g) Grade K-5 students living on
the southwest side of Washington Ave attending Presumpscot School
not eligible by distance.

Elementary sessions run from 8:50
a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Average ride time for elementary students is
approximately 15 minutes. Most elementary bus routes run less than 30
minutes in length and arrive at school generally 15-20 minutes prior
to the schools opening.

Seating is first come first
served, with occasional seat assignments being posted by the driver.
Seating is designed to accommodate three elementary students per
seat under normal circumstances.

Bus stops for elementary
students are designed with safety in mind. Most elementary stops are
centralized to accommodate large numbers of students from a specific
area. Generally stops are located within one quarter of a mile of a
student’s home. Occasionally, as with kindergarten students, safety
issues warrant front door stops. We will attempt to accommodate
requests on an individual basis.

Individual post cards are
mailed to all eligible elementary students approximately two weeks
before the start of school. Schedules include bus number, bus stop, and
times. Schedules may change from year to year based on several
factors.

Middle School Transportation: Middle school transportation is provided for all grade 6 through 8 students who reside over two miles from their assigned school. Middle school sessions run from 8:15 a.m. to 2:25 p.m.

Exception areas to the two-mile guidelines exist for safety reasons. They include:

a) King Middle School - All grade 6 residents of Kennedy Park and areas north of Franklin Arterial (inbound only)

Average
ride time for middle school students is approximately 15 minutes.
Most middle school bus routes run less than 30 minutes in length and
arrive at school generally 15-20 minutes prior to the schools
opening.

Seating is first come first served, with occasional
seat assignments being posted by the driver. Seating is designed to
accommodate two, and in some cases three middle school students per
seat under normal circumstances.

Bus stops for middle school
students are designed with safety in mind. Most middle school stops
are centralized to accommodate large numbers of students. Generally
stops are located within one quarter of a mile of a student’s home.

Schedules
generally do not change from year to year. Individual post cards are
mailed to all eligible middle school students approximately two
weeks before the start of school. Schedules include bus number, bus
stop, and times.

All middle school students residing on the
Casco Bay islands are eligible for transportation to and from King
Middle School from the Casco Bay Lines ferry terminal. Each year
students are provided with a ferry pass at the start of the school
year. The pass contains a picture and pertinent information about the
student. Buses leave the ferry terminal at approximately 7:40 a.m.
for King Middle School and return at approximately 2:40 p.m. for the
return trip. Please see the home page for a link to Casco Bay Lines
ferry schedules.

Late busses are scheduled for all after school activities from all Middle Schools. These schedules include:

King – 4:00 p.m. – all areas

Lincoln - 3:40 p.m. – all areas

Moore - 3:30 p.m. – all areas

High School Transportation: Each High School Student in grades 9 through 12 is issued a METRO pass.

Special Education Transportation:
Special needs students are assigned transportation on an as needed
basis. All students not otherwise capable of utilizing regular
transportation services, and whose IEP (Individual Education Plan)
indicates a need for special bussing, will be provided with
transportation resources tailored to the individual needs of the
student.

Special needs transportation is generally a
door-to-door service utilizing specialized vehicles. These vehicles
are generally smaller than the conventional school bus and contain
such equipment as wheel chair lifts, additional restraint systems,
and lower step heights. All special needs school buses are ADA
compliant. Special needs routes also have driver assistants on board
to help with the myriad of individual needs and possible emergency
situations that may arise.

For more information concerning
special needs transportation you can contact the learning strategist
at your child’s school or the Special Services Department at 874-8134.

Activity Trips:
Transportation Services provides daily services to all schools
within the district for activity trips. Buses are available daily
between the hours of 9:15 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. daily.

Trips are
booked by the individual school through the Transportation Services
office and utilize many local educational resources such as museums,
historic buildings, planetariums, theaters, and concerts to name
just a few.

From the biggest group to the smallest,
Transportation Services stands ready to host your child’s next
alternative learning experience. Contact your child’s school to
inquire about being a chaperon on his or her next activity trip.

Athletic Trips:
Transportation Services is responsible for all transportation to
and from school sponsored athletic events. High school and middle
school teams regularly utilize various types of school buses over
the course of the year for scheduled events.

The safety and
comfort of Portland’s many skilled athletic teams traveling far and
wide across the state is vital to their success. Contact your school
booster organization to see how you can support your child’s
athletic endeavors.